It’s almost dawn as I’m writing this, and until a few minutes ago it was raining softly. It was a very welcome rain after three days of scorching heat, during which I gave up shooting around the garden and moved my suffocating self to the beach, where life is good and the sun is welcome. I could live at the beach for a whole month and I wouldn’t get tired of it.
So, at last, I got to shoot a few sunsets with the new camera. I got Lightroom, too, and I love it already, but I’m editing at the pace of a snail, so bear with me. I’ve also been reading and watching lots of online tutorials and making a list of everything I want to try. It might be a few decades before I’m done, LOL.
These photos are from the backyard, taken before the heat wave. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I ever have to move to a house without a yard. Having the chance to go out every day and see what new beauty I can capture so close to home is one my favorite things in the world. But then again, the world always provides.
Shutter speed 1/100 f5.6 ISO 320 Edited in Lightroom
artismysanity 
January 10, 2012 at 6:54 am
Absolutely gorgeous! I love the deep colours!
January 13, 2012 at 7:20 am
Glad you like these, Kristina! I love the colors, too!
January 10, 2012 at 7:20 am
how good are they….awesome..
January 13, 2012 at 7:20 am
Thank you! It’s awesome what I can do with my new camera :).
January 10, 2012 at 7:55 am
Beautiful, Belen – just like diamonds! And I love your new header with the writing in the sand.
January 13, 2012 at 7:24 am
Thanks, Jude! I love the way the drops sparkle – the macro end of this lens is great!
I’m glad you like the header, I was having fun on the beach and looking for a way to remind myself to appreciate all the good things around me :).
January 10, 2012 at 8:36 am
Beautiful!! Nice job!
January 13, 2012 at 7:25 am
Thank you! Glad you like the photos :).
January 10, 2012 at 8:58 am
Great Photos Belen. I love the colour ranges you are getting with that camera.
January 13, 2012 at 7:26 am
Thanks! Once I figured out which White Balance setting was best, the colors became magical. I did some split toning in Lightroom, too.
January 10, 2012 at 11:28 am
Beautiful! Loved them, totally. What great color tone! 😀
January 13, 2012 at 7:27 am
Thanks, Nandini! Glad you like them :).
January 10, 2012 at 11:59 am
Lovely warm colors. The water beads look like little pearls on those leaves.
January 13, 2012 at 7:27 am
I like the same things about these photos :).
January 10, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Lovely light in these 🙂
January 13, 2012 at 7:28 am
I know! I got really lucky because it was a cloudy day and the sun shone through in the last minute on the exact spot where I was shooting these :).
January 10, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Gorgeous!!!
January 13, 2012 at 7:29 am
Thanks, Cee!
January 10, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Very pretty. I love the light!!
January 13, 2012 at 7:29 am
Thank you! It was a gift from Mother Nature :).
January 10, 2012 at 3:21 pm
i love the lighting in these.. beautiful golden color.. water droplets look amazing as well – crisp
January 13, 2012 at 7:33 am
I like the exact same things about these photos – the golden light and the sparkling little drops :).
January 10, 2012 at 6:43 pm
I really like the tones in these.
January 13, 2012 at 7:34 am
Thank you! I love them too :).
January 10, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Love how the drops just hang on.
January 13, 2012 at 7:35 am
Aren’t they beautiful? I was playing with the cats in the backyard when I saw them and I had to go get the camera!
January 10, 2012 at 9:08 pm
I’m glad to see you are putting the new camera to good use!
January 13, 2012 at 7:36 am
Thanks, Jeff! There hasn’t been a day when I didn’t shoot something. I’m loving my D90 :D.
January 10, 2012 at 9:34 pm
crazy crazy crazy good!
January 13, 2012 at 7:36 am
Thanks, Paula! Glad you like these so much :).
January 10, 2012 at 9:58 pm
Great photos. The water droplets are so clear and vibrant.
January 13, 2012 at 7:36 am
Thank you, Maggie! It’s the magic of having a decent camera :).
January 11, 2012 at 1:16 am
Beautiful shots.
January 13, 2012 at 7:37 am
Thank you, Edith!
January 11, 2012 at 7:03 am
love the tones and the texture the blur gives these
January 13, 2012 at 7:38 am
For macro there’s nothing better than shooting with a wide open aperture and getting only the subject in focus. I love blurry backgrounds :).
January 11, 2012 at 9:53 am
Awesome shots! I love it when I find some good water droplets….not that I would ever just use a spray bottle, that would be cheating 😉
January 13, 2012 at 7:39 am
Thanks, Frank! I’m a fan of droplets, too, and I don’t mind using a spray bottle, it’s just that most of the time I’m too lazy to go fetch it :).
January 11, 2012 at 6:47 pm
I love these water-drop shots! Very good technique, lovely colours, and nice framing too! Cheers!
January 13, 2012 at 7:40 am
Thanks, Steve! Your comments are always so encouraging, I’m glad you follow my blog!!
January 11, 2012 at 11:28 pm
Beautiful shots! Love the water droplets. Isn’t D90 a great camera… 😉
January 13, 2012 at 7:41 am
Thanks, Emily! If you ask me, it’s the best and the most beautiful camera ever, but mine is a really biased opinion :D.
January 12, 2012 at 12:27 am
Good job! And, just when we’re getting used to LR3… they’re testing the beta of LR4!!! Ack!
January 13, 2012 at 7:43 am
Thanks, Derrick! I’m still using Lightroom 2, and frankly I don’t think I’ll ever be able to keep up with everything they come up with, every year they have a new version of everything! I’m beginning to feel comfortable with PS CS5 and I find out CS6 is about to come out. Whoa!
January 12, 2012 at 7:39 am
Beautiful shots and I really like the header pic..:-)
January 13, 2012 at 7:44 am
Thanks, Ed! The header is a beautiful reminder, and what better place to keep it than here in the blog I love so much :).
January 12, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Super photos Belen..I’m with you…I don’t know what I would do either with out a yard!
January 13, 2012 at 7:45 am
Thanks! I guess I’d try to have lots of potted plants, so I would at least have some green.
January 13, 2012 at 9:21 am
Happy New Year from Switzerland. Love the images, REALLY love you blog page header.
January 14, 2012 at 6:21 am
Happy New Year from Argentina! I’m glad you enjoyed my photos and the header, the latter has a very especial meaning for me :).
January 13, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Great shots, glad to see you’re enjoying your new camera, loving the results!
January 14, 2012 at 6:22 am
Thanks, Kieran! I’m loving them, too 😀
January 14, 2012 at 4:00 am
These are so lovely! And you have a wonderful new header photo too.
January 14, 2012 at 6:22 am
Thanks, Lady Fi! Glad you like the header :).
January 16, 2012 at 4:27 pm
These are really beautiful photos. I love the contrast between the spiky thorns and the smoothness of the water drops.
January 16, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Thank you! I love water drops mixed with flowers. I’m glad you enjoyed my work, and thanks for visiting!
January 17, 2012 at 6:11 pm
If you are new to Lightroom I would suggest getting a NAPP (national association of photoshop professionals) membership.
They have tons of turorials, presets, and how-to videos. They also publish some good books on what you can do in Lightroom.
You mention you are still slow at editing. I presume you know about preset you can save and then apply to one or more pictures.
If you have a set of pictures that are approximately the same exposure, etc. you can post-process them very fast by doing one, applying the preset to all, and then tweak just the ones you like.
No, I’m not associated with NAPP, Lightroom, or anyone. Just remembering when I was looking for direction.
And thanks for liking my post.
January 17, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Thank you for all the tips! I’d had LR for less than a day and I had already downloaded all the free presets I could find :). I love how easy it is to change the mood of a photo with them. I’m slowly learning how to edit the photos myself – I usually spend lots of time online so I’ve been watching tutorials and more tutorials. I still feel more comfortable doing some things in PS, but I’ve already realized LR is much faster (especially with my malfunctioning computer).
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
January 18, 2012 at 4:17 am
I’m a newbie to lightroom, too. I feel your pain. ; )
January 18, 2012 at 4:14 am
Love these. So soft and delicate.
January 18, 2012 at 5:26 am
Water drops are so fascinating to shoot. I want to try reflections on water drops next.
Starting to use any new software can be quite a headache, but it’s so rewarding when your photos turn out pretty :). I can’t remember getting started with Photoshop, just a faint feeling of despair at how much there was to know and how overwhelming it was, and yet today I feel very comfy inside my digital darkroom. It’s all about taking it one step at a time :).
January 18, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Thanks for the kind words. I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I got a new camera and lenses AND new software all at once. What was I thinking? So much to learn. But you’re right – one step at a time.
January 25, 2012 at 3:31 am
Great images here! I’m a big Lightroom user myself, once you get the hang of it it’s well worth it, good luck!
January 25, 2012 at 6:35 am
Thanks, Aaron! I’m enjoying Lightroom a lot right now, and eventually I’ll get around to properly learning how to use it – right now I’m like kid with a new box of crayons :).
January 26, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Beautiful warm light! The second one down is my favorite. 🙂
January 27, 2012 at 4:55 am
Thank you, John! That’s my favorite one, too :).
January 27, 2012 at 9:48 am
Beautiful. Amazing reflection!
January 29, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed these photos :).
April 1, 2012 at 10:08 am
Stunning as usual!
I have been enjoying your blog and seeing your photo captures of the moments you choose to share. Reading your posts and sharing in your adventures has been rewarding for me and I believe you deserve the Creative Capture Blogging Award. Please enjoy the fact that someone out here in the blogosphere enjoys your photo captures of the moments you choose to share. Stop by to get your badge if you would like to show others your award status. Keep blogging, keep photographing, and keep sharing. Congratulations and enjoy! : )
Award Info: https://justramblinpier.wordpress.com/
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